December 26, 2008

How Oklahoma Scored Deep in the Heart of Texas

A terrific piece by Thayer Evans of the New York Times, who gained exclusive access to the recruitment of Jamarkus McFarland, a top defensive tackle prospect from Lufkin, Texas.

McFarland visited Texas, Oklahoma, USC and Louisiana State before selecting the Sooners on Thursday. The recruiting process was paved with an offer for an interest-free loan for his mother, a wild party in Dallas where "girls were acting wild by taking off their tops and pulling down their pants," a ride in a Hummer stretch limousine, a meeting with a university president and recruiting hostesses sitting on the laps of prospects.

It came down to Oklahoma and Texas for McFarland, whose mother vowed to never set foot in Norman again after visiting the campus with her son in April. But Sooner defensive line coach Jackie Shipp built up a relationship with McFarland's mother and on Christmas it paid off, with McFarland selecting the Sooners.